Wheel cot



T. ERICSSON WHEEL COT March 20, 1945.

Filed Sept. '17. 1943 Gttorncg gle nurse.

Patented Mar. 20, "1945 UNITED STATES PATENT" oFFlCE f 'I'ore` Ericsson, Stockholm,` Sweden, assigner to` I Aktiebolaget Sangfabriken, Stockholm, Swedem Va corporation of Sweden The present invention-refers to an improvement in cotsy and is particularly intended to be used atr maternity hospitals. Various sorts of cots are known, to-wit, such cots as are supported by legs provided with supporting casters,` cots baby is lifted over into another cot, whichto- .3

gether with generally three other cots can be placed on `a carriage from which the cot in question, after being conveyed to the mothers room, may be lifted over to the mothers bed at thefoot of which it is generally placed. Such a removal is especially inconvenient and involves a waste of time on account of the fact that the baby must be removed from its own bed to another cot, as well as the fact that the bulky carriages necessitate rather much space, no matter whether they be in the mothers ward or in the babies ward. The removal of the baby from its own bed to another cot can be eliminated, if the babys bed consists of a detachable cot supported by a bracket,

whereby the cot can be lifted overonto the carriage without further ado. This solution, however, has not enabled the elimination of thebulky carriage conveying the cots. Since cots supported by legs have been provided with supporting casters,'the carriage has admittedly become unnecessary and this has made it possible for the baby to remainin its own bed during removal of the latter, but the actual question of removal is still very troublesome, as a nurse cannot remove more than one or, at most, two cots `at a time,` which necessarily involves ai considerable waste of time.

`'Iv'he present invention solves this 4problem completely by providing means whereby the baby may remain in its own caster supported cot, no extra carriage being necessary, and a greater number of cots, say six, being movable at a time by a sin- 'I'his is achieved by means of the invention by the provision of connecting means provided on the relatively opposite sides of the cots, said connecting -means being `such that either two or more cots may be detachably connected in a row for the removal of the hitche cots as a Whole on their casters. i

In order to readily understand the invention' Application September 7, T943, Serial' Nor-5015489 t l In Sweden Januaryy 2k3, 1943 4 claims! 1 (o1. :aso-33.44)

and easily to put it into eftect, it4 will now/ be de.`

l .scribed by `referenceto` the accomp'anying drawy .the cot.

ing which illustrates an embodiment' of the same; In the drawing,

Fig. l is a perspective-view of three cots hitched i to one another in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 isl drawn on a, larger scale and illustrates perspectively the remotest` of the three `cots shown and seen in the direction of the arrow P inFig; 1. Fig. Zat-shows on a still largery scaleA a fragment ofthe connecting device. i i

Fina1ly,iFig; 4- is a fragmentary view like Fig'. 3

but showing a modifiedembodiment ofthe invention. i. .f In the illustrated embodiment shown by wayof example inFigs, l-3, theconnecting means comprises a wire'` strap 2 disposed along one sideor` each cot l, the shanks 3 Vof the straps being welded to the legs 5 extending from the `corners of the cot frame and provided with casters. That part of the strap 6 connecting the shanks 3 extends in spaced relationship to, and along, the said side of the cot l parallel to the top edge of On the opposite side of the cot,` awire strap 1 is adapted in a similar Way, the shanks 8 of said strap 1 being bent down and together with the part 9 connecting said Shanks adapted to be introduced into the first mentioned part` B of a straight strap 2 adapted on the opposite side of another c ot. The shanks 8 of the bent" strap 1 converge somewhat in a downward direction, and

in a gentle curve they merge into the horizontal `eiective lateral guiding control. Fig. 3 shows clearly, how the strap 2` engages the strap 1, this eral guiding, a' single nurse, preferably bypushing the last of the three cots (or a plurality) shown in Fig. 1, can easily move and maneuver the whole row. The disconnecting of the various cots on'their arrival is performed in the converse way by placing aslant and subsequentlyunhitching one cot after the other. Even cots having but one pair of casters (see Fig. 1, the middle cot) may be removed ,invthis Way, as those legs `without casters are heldl up from the iioor by means of the connecting means. i

The` connecting-means, however, may b e constructed in various ways within the scope of the invention. Thus, the Shanks 8' of the bent strap as a single unit, which comprises two horizontally extending straps, one on either side: of a cot, said straps being in spaced relationship tor said respective sides and kfixed to the .cot by means of shanked ends in the vicinity of the corners ofthe cot, the shanked4 ends of one strap being arcuated downward, the part of the strap connecting said arcuated Shanks rbeing adapted' to come into engagement between the shanks of, and on the inner side of, a strap of another cot for hitching same thereto. n

2. A device for-'detachably connecting a plurality of wheel-cots atI relatively opposite endsL enabling a row of cots thus formed to` be moved as a single unit, which comprises two horizontally extending straps, one on either side of a cot, said straps being in spaced relationship to said respective sides and i'lxed to the cot by means of shanked ends in the Vicinity of the corners of the cot, the shanked ends of one strap being arcuated upward, the part of the strap vconnecting said arcuated Shanks being 'adapted to come into y rality of wheel-cots at relatively opposite ends enabling a row of cots thus formed to be moved 'I' may be bent downward instead of upward,k

engagement between the shanks of, and on the linner side of, a strap of another cot for hitching same thereto.

3.' A device .for detachably connecting a plurality of wheel-cots at relatively opposite ends enabling a row of cots thus formed to be moved as a single unit, which comprises two horizontally extending straps, ,one on either side of a cot, said straps being in spaced relationship to said respective sides and fixed to the cot by means of shanked ends in the Vicinity of the corners of the cot, the shanked ends of one strap being arcuated, the part of the strap connecting said arcuated shanks being adapted to come into engagement between the Shanks of, and on the inner side of, a strap of another cot for hitching same thereto.

`4. A device for detachably connecting a plurality of wheel-cots at relatively opposite ends enabling a row of cots thus formed to be moved as a single unit, which comprises two horizontally extending straps, one on either side of a cot, said straps being in spaced relationship to said respective sides and fixed to the cot by means of shanked ends in the vicinity of the corners of the cot, the shanked ends of one strap being arcuated, the part of the strap connecting said arcuated shanks being adapted to come into engagement between the` Shanks of, and on the inner side of, a strap of another cot for hitching same thereto, wherein the said'arcuated Shanks f converging with respect to each other and curvedly merging into the part `joining the Shanks, thereby enabling an easy introduction of the last said part of theV strap betweenthe Shanks of a corresponding strap of a juxtaposed cot.

f TORE ERICSSON. 

